Wildland Fire Lessons Learned Center

Hot Tips

Printable Version of Page | E-mail Link

Advance your professional wildland firefighting skills.
Looking for new directions and innovative ways to get the job done?
Interested in a toolbox of hot tips that really work?
You're in the right spot.

View the latest in innovative tactics, technologies, tools and learning opportunities below:

Narrated presentations titled MyFireCommunity.net Orientation will be available soon to help you learn how to use many of the updated site's new capabilities.

The Slaughter Gulch Fire (8MB) resulted in an engine burnover the investigation team determined could have been prevented. (This is a Flash Presentation and requires the Adobe Flash Player to run.) Investigation Team Report (1 MB PDF posted 091305)

Other recent additions we consider Hot Tips:

Southern Arizona Fuels & Fire Behavior Advisory
(329KB pdf posted 5/8/2008)
Above-average rains during the summers of 2006 and 2007 have created heavier than normal fine fuel loads in southern Arizona, especially in desert areas infested with Buffelgrass (Pennisetum ciliare). Many grassland areas in southeastern Arizona (above 3,500’) have had above average precipitation the past two summers, creating a heavy crop of grass. Historically, this situation has been followed by a year with large fires.

Why Did He Die? Lessons from the Devil's Den Fatality Fire 256Kbps
(20MB wmv posted 5/1/2008)
This short video briefly and succinctly tells the story of the 2006 Devil’s Den Incident fatality experience — focusing on the key lessons and effective practices to be learned from this fireline tragedy.

Why Did He Die? Lessons from the Devil's Den Fatality Fire 1Mbps
(30MB flv posted 5/1/2008)
This video briefly and succinctly tells the story of the 2006 Devil’s Den Incident fatality experience — focusing on the key lessons and effective practices to be learned from this fireline tragedy. Streaming .flv Flash Video file for a High Speed Connection (1Mb/s)Requires the Flash Player to be installed on your computer.

Briefing Paper - Firefighters concerned about fire shelter length
(162 bytes doc posted 4/28/2008)
"Background: An e-mail was widely circulated recently in the firefighter community warning firefighters that people taller than 5’8” should probably carry a large size, New Generation Fire Shelter. A firefighter had reportedly tried a regular size fire shelter and found it to be “nearly a foot shorter” than the regular size practice shelter he had used. This raised the concern that if practice shelters are longer than real shelters, it could lead people to carry the wrong size shelter. MTDC contacted the district and requested that both the New Generation Fire Shelter and the practice fire shelter be sent to MTDC for examination."

Document Depot Tutorial for MFC Neighborhood Coordinators
(3MB doc posted 4/25/2008)
The Document Depot filing system recently installed in MyFireCommunity.net now has a step-by-step tutorial for neighborhood coordinators to use in setting things up for their group. Download this 2 MB Word doc to your computer for best results because images may load slowly viewing them in your browser. Each coordinator must contact the authors on the LLC staff to create their n'hood specific private database first. They then are able to use the tutorial and may receive online live instruction by appointment also.

Texas Grass Fire Lessons
(47KB pdf posted 4/23/2008)
This is an excerpt from the 2007 Wildland Fire Safety Training Annual Refresher Training workboook.

2007 Fireline Safety Refresher Training
(5MB pdf posted 4/23/2008)
This year’s fireline safety refresher training, Fire Indicators – Chance Favors the Prepared Firefighter, is intended as an alternative delivery system for annual refresher training required for all personnel participating in fire suppression or prescribed fire activities who may be subjected to assignments on the fireline. Check specific agency policy to determine if this training package meets all refresher training requirements.

"Our Pappies Burned the Woods"
(1MB pdf posted 4/23/2008)
This article appeared in "American Forests" magazine in 1940, written by Psychologist John P. Shea. It details fires in the south.

The Avian Flu Pandemic Response and Preparedness Plan For the Federal Wildland Fire Agencies
(724KB doc posted 4/23/2008)
This plan provides guidance to ensure the safety of all Department of the Interior (DOI) and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service employees involved in: Routine fire assignments, and Activities for emergency responses to: Avian influenza (AI), Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), and Pandemic influenza (H5N1). This plan is based on the currently known risks associated with the various levels and types of exposures to the viruses of avian influenza, highly pathogenic avian influenza, and pandemic influenza.

Accident Prevention Analysis Implementation Guide
(465KB doc posted 4/15/2008)
"An Accident Prevention Analysis is a formal process appropriate for investigation and analysis of an accident, serious accident or serious near-miss that has potential to serve as a warning of an institutional or cultural fault latent within the organization. The APA process is a formal accident investigation, meeting the requirements of Executive Order 12196, FSM 6731, FSH 6709.12."

Disclaimer: Information is provided with the intent to share knowledge to improve safety, performance, efficiency and organizational learning throughout the entire wildland fire community. However, no warranties or guarantees are implied because much of the data provided is beyond the control of the Center. No endorsement of any company or product is given or implied.